


Man's Best Friend

by lightlysaltedapples



Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Cats, Divorce mentioned??, Its only mentioned tho, Multi, Pet Store, Sassy cats, She should get benifits, Veronica is a suffering employee™, cat gang that you are not welcome to join, its heathers tf did you expect, many cuss and naughty words, more to come - Freeform, mrs. Fleming needs to see someone honestly, probably dog/pet abuse tw for the second chapter., she has problems.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-31 03:31:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8561896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightlysaltedapples/pseuds/lightlysaltedapples
Summary: In which Ronnie is a very underpaid pet store employee who has the "pleasure" of taking care of an entire shop of animals, including the inseparable Mac, Cinnamon, and Duchess, and the codependent Kurt and Ram.





	1. Chapter 1

[Hey martha I might be a little late for movie night. Cinnamon's being a little bratty, as usual.]   
Veronica typed with her one free hand, sending the message to her roommate. Cinnamon was hissing at the other animals from the safety of her arm, her red fur on end.   
Veronica looked down at the hissing cat in her hands. "You're terrible today. Just terrible. I'd quit if I could."   
Cinnamon grumbled and leapt onto the counter, the little red bell on her collar jingling. The other two cats, Mac, a sweet white munchkin, and Duchess, an often jealous grey tabby, were toying with a green feather in the corner. Ram and Kurt, the two German Shepards, were roughhousing over a football that had been popped years ago. The assorted birds chattered on the false branches above.   
"Really Cinn. Literally everyone else is getting along. You can't pull on my dick like this." Veronica scolded, gesturing to the other pets in the store. It wasn't a very large store, barely enough room for all the animals old Mrs. Fleming kept in it, but the back room, where the cats and dogs slept, was actually quite roomy. Shame that Fleming only let the animals there at night.   
Cinnamon hopped off of the counter, bringing Veronica back to reality. The tortoiseshell was headed over to the other two felines. Veronica smirked to herself at how Cinnamon hissed and grumbled to Mac, as if she was complaining about the "traumas" that she'd just experienced. 

 

\------------------------

"And then she's talking to me like she owns the place? Can you believe her Heather?" Heather, or "Cinnamon" as the (clearly inferior) workers had dubbed her.   
Little "Mac" shook her head, purring. "Outrageous, Heather. What do you think Heather?"   
Duchess, who had been batting the little red feather around, looked up. "About what?"   
Scoffing, Cinnamon rolled her eyes. "Such a pillowcase."


	2. A Devil Cat and a Devil Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Veronica finishes the late shift at Westerburg Pet Emporium and heads off to 7/11 to pick up some popcorn. 
> 
> This chapter contains vague animal abuse (I feel disgusting writing anything more than what's here.). You have been warned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a short first chapter, but I wanted to see where the idea would end up! Hope you enjoy!❤️

Veronica put Mac and Duchess down near the kennel that they shared. Cinnamon was close behind, of course. She was about to herd Kurt and Ram into their cages when she felt the familiar buzz of her phone in her pocket.  
[Hey Veronica. You almost done?] The message read. Veronica quickly responded, not wanting to leave Martha waiting.  
[yeah I'm just putting the devils away lmao you want me to get anything? Might stop at the gas station.]  
Veronica put her phone back into her pocket. She wouldn't want Mrs. Fleming to catch her texting during work. She whistled and clapped her hands, calling the german shepards into their crates. Kurt held the deflated football in his jaws. Maybe if she was awake enough to care, she would've taken it and put it on the shelf. Maybe.  
\-----------------  
From the backseat of the cab, Veronica checked her messages. One from Martha.  
[Can you just get popcorn? I thought we had some but Beatrice got to it :(] Veronica had to stifle a laugh at the thought of her roommate's hamster gnawing her way through a bag of kernels.  
Before she could respond, the driver spoke up. "Where to, Mrs?"  
"The 7/11 on West Street, please." The driver nodded, and Veronica watched the old wooden sign of "WESTERBURG PET EMPORIUM!" fade out of view.

 

\--------------------------

J cowered away from the man instinctively, afraid of what he might do. The man looked like he was in a rush- which was nothing new. He was always hurried, but something about this time felt different. They were outside, for one. And the man hadn't shouted when J leapt onto the leather seats of the man's grey jeep.  
J had nothing but the frayed rope tied around his neck, digging into his skin. When he fell behind, the man tugged on his end of the rope.  
"C'mon, mutt." He grumbled. J dared growl in response, baring his yellowed teeth for a brief moment. The man clearly didn't like that, and with a light slap to the side of the dog's head, Jay picked up his pace. He shook his head, trying to release the pain in his skull. Pain was nothing new, but strangely, today was different. The hit resonated with him, bouncing around in his head. It wasn't extremely painful or anything, not when compared to what the man had done in the past, at least.  
When the man finally came to a halt, J looked up at him, or looked down at him, rather, as the man was kneeling and fiddling with something on the nearby lamppost. The rope that had before been in his hands was now tied onto the post, with a little slip of paper with letters that J couldn't quite make out.  
With one final slap across his muzzle, the man left. J rubbed it with his dark paw, trying to piece together what had happened. Was he coming back? He hoped not. He willed silently that it would be the last he'd see of the man. Had he done something wrong? Probably.  
The sound of a ringing bell brought him back to reality. A younger woman in a blue hoodie stepped into the store nearby. He barked. As loud as he could, he barked at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what is this story?  
> badbadbadbadbad
> 
> what is this chapter?  
> sadsadsadsadsad
> 
> how do i feel?  
> madmadmadmad


	3. Strawberries and Honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which J makes some friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title isn't actually that significant but hey dog JD'S internal monolauge is something.

Veronica was about to step inside when she heard a barking. Her first thought was that Kurt or Ram had followed her- but of course that was ridiculous. She spun around, looking around for the source. Veronica saw a black figure. The creature let out a whine.  
Taking out her phone, Veronica switched on the flashlight. The dog standing before her turned his head away from the bright light. She hurried over to the creature, trying to figure out why a dog was standing alone on lonely exit fifty six. A short rope had the dog tied to the lamppost, and small note had been left there.   
"Please take this mutt. He's bad but he cant stay at my place. if yall don't want him you can call me and ill pick him up." Veronica read quietly. A phone number that she couldn't make out was scribbled below. Quickly she dialed Martha's number into her phone, having no one else to call.   
"Hey Martha- Yeah, yeah, no I'm fine. ... Yes I'm sure. ... Look I found this dog by the 7/11 on fifty sixth. ... I don't know what to do with him. ... Yeah. ...okay. I'm outside the store. ... See you then." Veronica hung up, swiftly putting the phone back into her pocket. She turned to the dog again.   
"Hey uh... I work with animals and stuff so I know I smell weird, but I swear I don't have any cats or anything at my place. My roommate's gonna pick us up."

\------

J didn't understand a word she said. Usually, the man only spoke in cruel words with a harsh tone. The girl's voice was different. Like honey.   
"What's honey, anyways?" J wondered. He hoped he'd find out someday. It sounded like a wonderful thing. After speaking some more words to him, which somewhat sounded questioning, she bent down, looking at his neck. Most of the fur around there was gone, replaced by bare, itchy skin. The girl looked at the collar, and frowned when she found J's pathetic little tag.   
"J". That was all it said, so that was what the girl said.   
She said it when she called him into the car. There was a shorter girl inside. She smelled like strawberries. He liked her. J couldn't see that well, but it looked like the strawberry girl was holding an oversized rat.   
For the first couple minutes, J was excited. He liked the blue girl and her strawberry friend. He liked the blue car. He liked the pudgy rat. Soon enough, however, he calmed down, resting his nose on the strawberry girl's lap, almost close enough to touch the chubby rat. The girl with the blue hoodie drove slow, sometimes checking back in on him. She had taken the "collar" off of his neck. It felt much better. Feeling the gentle rumble of the car beneath him, he dozed off.


	4. Different.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J meets the Westerberg Pet Emporium's famous cats.   
> They aren't happy to meet him either.

Veronica nudged the currently nameless dog awake.   
"C'mon buddy." She said softly, calling him out of the car. He followed behind her quickly, although he was hesitant to go into the pet store. But with some encouraging from Veronica and some treats from Martha, he went in.   
"Are you sure Mrs. Fleming won't mind? He could always stay at our place." Martha offered.   
Veronica shook her head. "No. The landlord hates us enough as is. Besides, I'm here seven hours a day, six days a week. I'm sure he'll figure it out."   
Martha shrugged, leading J into the back room, leaving him loose. "Shouldn't we give him a proper name? J sounds... incomplete."   
"Maybe Dean? It works for me." Veronica shrugged.

\--------  
J looked around, sniffing. He didn't like the back room. Against the wall were crates and kennels, most of which were empty. In the corners to his left were two crates that held a pair of rather large German Shepards. Deciding that he wouldn't be able to take them on if they were agressive, J instead turned to his right.   
There was a small kennel, which, at first, didn't appear to contain anything. Curiously, the mutt trotted forward, pressing his nose against the bars. He was met with a hiss as an amber figure stepped forward.   
"What are you looking at?" It said, scratching its claws against J's nose.   
J shook his head, trying to look larger.  
The bad man was something he couldn't fight.   
This cat was different.   
J snarled, barking at the bars. The red one stood firm, but the white and grey cats behind her yowled out, almost as if they were calling out for one of the workers.   
\--------  
Martha was about to respond when she heard growls coming from the back room. Veronica hurried into the back room.   
"J, I swear to god!" She grumbled, throwing open the door and looking for the source, which she soon found. The black hound was snarling just above the large kennel that the cats shared. Cinnamon was hissing back, protectively in front of the smaller cats.   
Veronica rushed to the dog, dragging him away by his scruff.   
"The hell is wrong with you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if anyone's really reading this. Might discontinue it if not.   
> Comment if you want me to keep going. Really there isn't a point if you guys dain't read it.

**Author's Note:**

> THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL HAVE MENTIONS OF ANIMAL ABUSE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.   
> \-------------------
> 
> For those of you wondering where everyone's favorite spooky killer is, don't worry. The next chapter introduces a mysterious black hound ;)


End file.
